sia

What's Rihanna's deal with turning down decent songs?

Last Thursday, Sia released a single “Cheap Thrills,” the first we’ve heard of her since last year’s album 1000 Forms of Fear. The song was originally written for Rihanna, who turned it down in the end. As Sia said in an interview with Rolling Stone, “I realized just as soon as I was cutting it that it sounded a little bit too Brit-pop for her. It’s more Icona Pop.”

Well, Sia and Grimes now have something in common. In 2014 Grimes released “Go,” a song originally written for Rihanna that she rejected. Grimes decided to make the song herself instead, a respectable “waste not, want not” approach to songwriting—but with, overall, an unimpressive effect. While “Go” is instrumentally interesting, it sticks out like a sore thumb in the context of Grimes’ oeuvre. It sounds, for a good reason, like a Rihanna song performed by Grimes.

Similarly, “Cheap Thrills” is less exciting than what I was expecting next from Sia. It’s a dancefloor gem, with a steady beat and lots of “all hail the weekend” party lyrics — but it’s so lyrically boring that I just can’t get into it. Sia has a knack for slipping razor-sharp commentary into dancy pop gems (see “Chandelier” and “Buttons”), but it’s just not present in “Cheap Thrills.” The ultimate point of the song is “I don’t need a lot of money to have fun!” which, sung by Rihanna (who, if you recall, last made the charts with a track called “Bitch Better Have My Money”), would actually be kind of interesting. But from Sia, it just sounds like fluff.

I’m just hoping that somebody could get in touch with Rihanna’s people and tell them to stop turning down awesome material from great writers? Please, it’ll help the careers of everybody involved.

Now that TLC has a biopic coming out, starring Lil Mama (of “Lip Gloss” fame), they've also decided to come out with a greatest hits LP, which drops on Oct. 15. You can head over to Pitchfork for the tracklist, which includes “Waterfalls,” “Red Light Special” and “Creep.”

The dream of the '90s seems to be alive and kickin' as Veruca Salt have announced via Twitter that they're reuniting and recording with Brad Wood, who they worked with on their first record, American Thighs. Who knows what could become of this, but this is the most exciting news I've heard all week.

Just in case you were wondering what M.I.A.'s upcoming album, Matangi, looks like. You can view the tracklist and see the cover art over at Pitchfork. The album hits shelves on Nov. 5.

If you haven't listened to Mudhoney, you should definitely entertain the notion of listening to Mudhoney. They've been steadily releasing material in their 20+ years as a band, and their newest record, Vanishing Point, is currently available in stores or via online markets. They've just released a video of the track “The Only Son Of The Widow From Nain,” which you can check out now. Probably NSFW.

Dr. Dog's newest album, B-Room, comes out next week, but thanks to the folks over at Rolling Stone, you can stream the whole thing. Oh, and you can read about the band's efforts in making the album.

Jennifer Hudson's voice mixed with Pharrell's production and a cameo by T.I.? Yes, please!

What is it with the Coen brothers and churning out movies that provide killer soundtracks? O Brother, Where Art Thou?, anyone? Their upcoming flick, Inside Llewyn Davis is another Coen film that is getting the star-powered soundtrack treatment, and you can hear Marcus Mumford and Oscar Isaac singing “Fare Thee Well (Dink's Song)” from the film via Billboard.

Ever the chameleon, Madonna channels inspiration from the world around her. But then again, doesn't every other artist? Now, she's channeling inspiration in the fight for freedom of expression, and her latest mode of exacting said message is by covering Elliott Smith's “Between the Bars.” You can see the performance below and check out her Art for Freedom short film here.

Don't act like you're not excited that the tracklist for The Hunger Games: Catching Fire has been released. I'm actually surprised at some of the big and interesting names they were able to get for it, but then again, it's got Jennifer Lawrence, so... Some people on this venture include Christina Aguilera (have you heard this woman sing?), Sia, Antony & The Johnsons, Patti Smith and much more.

A couple weeks back, it was announced that Albert Hammond Jr. (most notable from his work with The Strokes) was going to release a solo EP, titled AHJ, on Oct. 8. Well now Mr. Hammond (Jr.) has shared the first single from said release. It's sort of like old-school Strokes with a more crisp, poppy tone to it. Appoved.

Savages, my latest obsession, have shared a video for the track “Husbands,” off their fantastic debut LP Silence Yourself. The black-and-white vid has footage of the band playing interspersed with footage of cells, maggots, rising smoke and white triangles. Sounds about right.

Peter Gabriel released an album of covers, titled Scratch My Back, in 2010. Now Gabriel has flipped the switch by having artists take a whack at his songs on a second album of covers, titled And I'll Scratch Yours. The album features the likes of St. Vincent, Bon Iver, Lou Reed, Regina Spektor and more. The album is available this week, but you can hear Feist's cover of Gabriel's “Don't Give Up,” featuring Timber Timbre.